1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wireless data communication and, more particularly, to systems and methods for a multi-platform wireless modem.
2. Background
Wireless communication and portable computing are converging. As a result, many portable computing devices incorporate a wireless modem for data communication. A wireless modem uses wireless communication channels to replace a more traditional wired connection through, for example, a telephone or a cable line. Also, in order to meet an increased demand for wireless data communication, wireless system operators have developed a variety of data communication protocols to support wireless data communication within their systems. Unfortunately, this has resulted in a plurality of incompatible data communication systems and protocols.
The plurality of systems and protocols creates problems for wireless modem manufacturers, because a wireless modem manufacturer must design a different modem for each communication system and/or protocol. Making matters worse for the manufacturer, different portable computing devices may require the wireless modem to have a specific form factor. Each portable computing device may also define a different software protocol for communication between the computing device and the wireless modem. As a result, the wireless modem manufacturer may have to design a different wireless modem assembly for each type of communication protocol and each type of portable computing device. The duplication creates excess cost for the manufacturer and makes changing or upgrading modems difficult for the user.
For purposes of this specification and the claims that follow, the term wireless communication protocol is used to refer to both the air interface standard used by the wireless modem to access a communication channel in a particular communication system and to the communication protocol used by devices in the system to communicate with each other. Common air interface standards include Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), as defined for example by the IS-136 specification, Global System for Mobile (GSM) communications, and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) as defined for example by the IS-95 specification. There is also a world wide effort to consolidate the different wireless communication protocols into a single standardized protocol known as third generation or “3G”.
Despite efforts to achieve convergence in the so-called 3G communication protocols, however, there is still considerable confusion in the market-place. The confusion is made worse by numerous proprietary, non-standard protocols in use in a variety of systems, and even when a standard protocol is used differences in implementation between offerings from multiple modem vendors, or between those from a single vendor, make transitioning between vendors and/or technologies difficult for the end user. As a result, the concept of seamless replacement is not available to the end user or system integrator, which results in added cost, frustration, and delayed time-to-market, as well as reduced competitiveness in the market place.